Signaling device for automobiles.



0.1. BEMISS.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES,

APPLICATION r|LEn1AN.9,1915.

A TTUHNEY 0. J. BEMISS.

SIGNALING DEVICE F0 R AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.9.1915.

,4 TTOR/VE Y UNITED STATES GRIN J. BEMISS, 0F YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

4Specification ofLetters Patent.

Y Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application led January 9, 1912.A Serial No. 1,381.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known/that I, GRIN J. Bnmss, a

Vcitizen'of/the. United States, residing at if r-silanti, in the county of VVashtenaw, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'bignaling Devices for Automobiles; -and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable fiers skilled in the art to which it appel-talus to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the characters o reference marked thereon, specification.

This invention relates to signaling devices especially designed and adapted for use on automohiles, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention has for its object the provision of a simple and efficient signaling device a .:pted for attachment to an automobile ai to be manually operated by the driver thereof, whereby a rear signal may be displayed at the will of the operator to indicate any contemplated change in the speed or course of the vehicle to be made, so as to notify and forewarn an approaching or following vehicle of such intention and enable the driver thereof to so govern or direct his course as to avoid confusionor interference and a possible collision, which mi ht otherwise occur, with the result of serious injury to both vehicle and occupants.

The invention contemplates such a construction of the device by which the above object is attained as will provide a suitable support or housing 'for attachment to the rear of an automobile and for containingr the signaling mechanism, to which actuating means is.^connected, which extends to the foot board within easy access for control by the foot of the operator. The arrangement is such as to provide a selective control for the signaling means, in the operation of which a signal indicating a reduction of speed may be displayed independently, or a change in the course of the vehicle to either a right or left hand direction may be indicated simultaneously with the display of the signal indicatin the change in speed.

Thei referre novel. eatures ofthe present invention is which form a part of this 'form of embodiment of theillustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a por tion of an automobile frame and body. showing the signaling deviceand actuating means attached thereto in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the foot board, showing a T-shaped way therein for permitting a selective movemem of the foot lever for actuating the signalingv mechanism. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of the exposed face of the signal .\housing; Fig. 3 showing the sign plate inscribed slow down displayed to indicate a change of speed; Fig. 4 showing the sign plate displayed in connection with a signal hand indicating a turn or change of course to the left, and Fig. 5A showing the sign plate and signal hand indicating a turn to the` right. Fig. 6 is a view looking into the housing with the front plate removed, showing the mechanism in elevation with the connecting studs in section, and indicating by dotted lines anactuated position of the sign plate and one of the signal hands. Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through the housing and parts, taken on dotted lines 7-7 of Fig. 6, the parts being in their normal position. Fig.' 8 is a transverse zig za sectional view through the parts on dotted line 8-8 of .gig 6. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on dotted line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings by the characters of reference marked thereon, 1 represents the back or supporting plate of the housing, within which the signaling mechanism is mounted` and which is shown as having a right angled bent portion 2 secured to the back of an automobile body 3, by

bolts or screws 4, as shown in-Figs. 1 and 7, but which may be attached or supported in any other suitable manner.

A face plate 5 constituting the outer wall or cover for the housing 1s spaced apart from and supported upon the back plate 1 by means of four screw studs 6 which also serve as supports for certain parts of the signaling mechanism. Said studs extending through theface plate 5 are anchored in the back plate 1 by jam nuts 7 at their threaded ends, and are each rovided with a pair of spacing sleeves 84 an 9 for positionmg the parts thereon. Mounted to slide MmmmwsvmMWMMWW, e

vertically upon two of the studs 6 is a T- shaped sign plate 10 having elongated apertures 11 formed in the body thereof, through each of which a stud 6 passes and between the spacing sleeves 8 and 9 of which the body of the plate is interposed and guided thereby in its vertical movement. (See Figs. 6 and 7). The upper end of the sig-n plate normally lies in a plane below the upper end of the face plate 5 of the housing, and may have inscribed upon its outer face suitable characters to .indicate a change of speed, such as slow down, as shown, and which will be exposed to view when said sign plate is projected from within the housing, as shown in Fig. 3,' and indicated by dotted lines in Fig.

A pair of signaling members in the form of hands 12are disposed upon opposite sides of the body of the sign plate in reversely opposed relation to each other, each beingl pivoted at its lower end upon a stud 6 and ,so positioned between the spacing sleeves 8 and 9 thereon as to clear said sign plate in lying in their normal vertical positions vwithin the housing, from which they are ada ted to -swing respectively in right and le t hand directions to oppositely extended and substantially horizontal positions therewith, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. G. Each of said signal hands is operatively connected with one side of the sign plate by means of a strap link 13, the lower end of which is pivoted to the lower end of the hand, eccentric to the pivot of said hand, by a screw stud 14 which passes through said hand and is threaded'.

through said link, being anchored therein by a jam nut 15. The upper end of each link is provided with a slot 16 which receives a screw stud 17 anchored at its head in said sign plate and receiving on its threaded end a washer 1 8 and jam nut 19 to slidably retain said strap in engagement therewith. By this arrangementv the parts are so connected as to permlt of the vertical movement of the sign plate independently of the signal hands,'while an outward swinging movement of either of the hands will impart an upward vertical movement to said sign plate simultaneously therewith, and through the downward movement of said plate movement will be imparted to return said hands" @shown in Figs. .7 and 9.

Motion is imparted to operate the hands in conjunction with the sign plate and independently of each other in opposite directions, by means of a crank yoke 22, having a centrally projecting hub 23 journaled to rock in a bearingihanger 24, which is secured by bolts 25 to the frame of the car in central vertical alinement-with the signal housing, and with the crank arms 27 of the yoke extending rearward relatively in a horizontal plane. said crank arms is provided with a threadedV stem 27 upon which the lower end of a connecting link 28 is pivotally received and secured by a jam nut 29, and the upper end of each of these links is pivotally and slidably connected to the lower end of a corresponding signal hand'at a point eccentric to the pivot of said hand and opposite its pivotal connection with the link 13, through the medium of a stud 30 which passes through a slot 31 in said hand and through a spacing washer 32 into said link, being locked therein by a jam nut 33. (See Figs. 6 and 8.) The studs 30 of'fthe connecting links normally lie in engagement With the lower ends of the slots 31 of the hands, and the angle of said slots, withrelation to the direction of movement imparted to the links through the rocking of the crank yoke 22, is such as to render the links operative for transmitting movement to the hands in a downward direction only, the upward movement of the link being accommodated by the travel of the stud in the slot of the hand.-

Movement is imparted to the crank yoke through arock shaft 34-journaled in a bearing hanger 35 secured to a frame 26 of the car and provided at its forward end with an upwardly extended foot control arm 36, which is secured thereon by jam nuts 37, and, extending through a T-shaped aperture 38 in the foot board 39 of the car, is adapted to be shifted therein to impart either a longitudinal or rocking movement to said shaft. The rear end of said shaft extends through and is supported in the hub 23 of the crank yoke in which it is splined by means of flattended surfaces 40`formed on said shaft and engaged by a correspondingly shaped aperture in said hub, so as to effect a driving engagement and permit of the longitudinal movement of said shaft threin. (See Figs. 1- and 7. d

The longitudinal movement ofthe rock shaft is transmitted to impart a` vertical movement to the sign plate through a bell crank lever 41 haviI-.g a connecting rod 42 pivoted theretoat one end within the bifurcated end of said lever upon a stud 43 passing therethrough and secured by a jam nut 44, and pivotally connected at its upper end to the lower end of said sign plate between ears 45 thereon through which a stud 4G is passed and secured by a jam nut 47. The

fulcrum end of said bell crank lever is forked and pivoted astride the end of a fixed arm 48 extending from the bearing hanger 24 upon a stud 49 secured therein bv a jam nut 50, and the free ends of said fork extending upon opposite sides of the shaft 34 are provided with circular bearing terminals 51 engaged upon one side by a. nut or shoulder 52 on the end of the shaft, and upon the opposite side by a collar 53 loosely mounted on said shaft and yieldably held in contact-withr said terminals by a. coiled spring 54 embracingsaid shaft and interposed between said collar and the inner face of the crank yoke 22,0as clearly shown in Fig. 7. By this arrangement the tension of the coiled spring is exerted axially upon the rock shaft and outwardly upon the engaged'end of the bell crank, and through said bell crank andv its connecting rod a downward tension 'is eX- ertedv upon the sign plate, which in turn imparts an inward lSwinging tension to the signal hands through the engagement of the studs of said sign plate with the lower ends of the Slots of the ,links connecting said hands therewith, whereby said plate and hands are normally retained in contracted position within the housing. vBy this arrangement it will be seen that preure applied in a forward direction to the foot control arm will move the shaft longitudinally against the tension of the spring and rock the 'bell crank, through which an upward movementl will be imparted to the sign-plate toproject and display the characters there- 0n above the housing, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the studs 17 'of the sign plate will have traveled upwardly in the slots of the connecting links 13, and the tongues 2()4 of the hands will be engaged by the anges transmitted to 'said plate to display saidhand and plate simultaneously and indicate the change both in speed and direction to be made, as shown in Fig. 5. It will be apparent th at a movement of the foot control lever to the left will, effect the operation of the sign plate and hand in a corresponding direction, as shown in Fig. 4, in identically the' saine manner as described for the right hand operation. and that upon releasing the pressure upon the foot control arm the tension of the coiled spring acting upon the shaft and bell crank will restore the parts to their normal positions. i

Having thus -fully set forth lmy invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A signaling device comprising a housing, a sign plate movably mounted in said housing, a signaling arm pivoted to swing into and out'of said housing and operatively connected withf'said lsign plate to impart movement thereto. in one direction with the movement of said arm, and an operating member having actuating means connected to said sign plate and to said signaling arm movable in one direction for imparting movementto said sign plate and movable in another direction for imparting movement to said armand tosaid sign plate.

2. A signaling device comprising a housing, .a 'sign plate movably'mounted in said housing, a signaling arm pivoted to swing' into and out of said housing, a connecting member carriedby said arm and engaged with said sign plate to impart movement thereto in one direction through the movement of said arm, an operating member movable in different' directions and carrying actuating means connected v to said sign plate and to said signaling arm, operative in one direction for imparting movement to said sign plate and actuatable inanother direction fortransmitting movement to said signaling arm and to-said sign plate.

3. A signaling device comprising a housing, a sign plate mounted to slide vertically in said housing, a signaling arm pivoted in said housing to swing therefrom, a connecting member pivoted to said signaling arm and slidably engaged with said sign plate for imparting movementthereto in one direction, an operating member movable in different directions having a control arm for differentiating the movement thereof, and actuating means connecting said operating member with said sign plate and said signaling arm, whereby through the move# ment of said control arm in 'one direction vmovement is imparted to raise said sign plate and by movement in another direction said plate is raised through the outwardv swinging motion transmitted to said signalingarm.

4. In a signaling device, a supporting frame, a housing mounted thereo'n,a sign plate mounted to slide vertically in said housing, a signaling arm pivoted in said housing to swing therefrom, a connecting link pivoted to said signaling arm and slidaby connected to said sign plate to impart movement to and permit said plate to move independently thereof in one direction, an

operating member4 mounted on said' frame and movable thereon in different directions, a crank arm on said operating member hatTn ing ay linked Connection with said signaling arm for transmittingmovement thereto 4 through the 'movement' of said opera/ting member, and 'a lever pivotally supported" on said frame 1n engagement at one end Vwith said operating member and having a linked connection at its opposite end With said sign plate for'imparting movementf thereto through'the movement of said operating member in one direction.

5. In 'a signaling Adevice, supporting frame, a housing mounted thereon, a sign plate mounted to .slide' vertically in said housing, a signaling arm pivoted to swing therefrom, connecting link puvoted to said arm and slidably engaged with said sign plate, an operating shaft joxirnaled to rock and to slide longitudinally in bearings on said frame and having a control arm for' differentiating thefmov'ement pt said shaft, a Crank arm splinedon-said shaft to rock therewith and permit longitudinal movement of said shaft the-rein, link pivotally connected to said crank armwand to said:

signaling arm for transmitting the rocking movement of said shaft to swing said arm and raise said plate, a lever pivotally sup- A6. In a signaling device, a supporting frame, a housing mounted therein, a sign plate mounted to slide vertically-in said-A Vhousing, a signaling arm pivoted to sWingfY theref.-`om, a connecting linkpivoted to said arm and slidably engaged.A with said sign plate, an operating shaft journaled'to rock and to 'slide longitudinally in bearings on said frame and'having a control arm for ment of said shaft therein,va link operatively 1connecting said crank arm with said signalarm for imparting movement in one direction to swing'said arm, and inoperative to impart'movement thereto in the opposite direction, a"1 -flever pivotally supported on said frame iiimovable engagementwith said shaft at one `end and having a link pivotally connecting its opposite end to said sign plate to raise said plate through the longitudinal movement of said shaft,'a collar embracing said shaft and engaging said lever,

and a coiled spring "confinedbetiveen said collar andl said cra-nk'for exerting tension -on said shaft i and lever.

In testimoi'jl'v whereof, I signl this specification in the.',`presence of two lwitnesses.

, v"OR-IN BEMISS.

` Witnesses B'. HEELER', L, S'. WooDHULL. 

